During Veterans week, Canadians from across the country take time to remember and give thanks for the sacrifices of our veterans. From the trenches to the skies over Europe and the oceans of the world, Canadians have fought with pride and courage to defend our way of life, and all that we hold dear.

Without these men and women who have so bravely gone to defend us, we would most certainly not be able to live in this wonderful country we have today.

Throughout the week, we ask that Canadians find different ways to remember and focus on making remembrance not only something you think about, but something you do, an active pursuit.

Whether it is attending Remembrance Day ceremonies, wearing a poppy, or simply stopping a veteran to say thanks.

Canadians should be commended for their already strong support, people come out in thousands for Remembrance Day activities and you often struggle to see someone without a poppy. Remembrance alone is however not enough, not from a government. A government must take action on a constant basis to ensure that veterans and their sacrifices are not only remembered, but the veterans and their families who have made these sacrifices feel the support and receive the care and benefits that they so rightly deserve.

Our Conservative government has made remembrance and the improvement of benefits and services twin priorities in our determination to show our deep sense of gratitude to those that have and those that still serve. We devoted ourselves to enhancing veterans benefits through historic investments and to cutting red tape around the important benefits and services that veterans need and use.

We have implemented upfront payments for the Veterans Independence Program (VIP) which is eliminating thousands of paper transactions per year and are simplifying forms and using more plain language when communicating with Veterans.

Recently, we launched a full suite of e-services including the Benefits Browser, the My VAC account, and my VAC book, three online tools that will help veterans and their families to not only find out what benefits and services are relevant to them but also allows veterans to make changes to their personal information and track applications 24/7 and from anywhere in the world including from a mobile device.

This year marks the 95th anniversary of the battle at Vimy Ridge as well as the 95th anniversary of the capture of Passchendale. It also marks the 70th anniversary of the Dieppe Raid, all three remarkable moments in Canadian history.

We are proud to remember these events and the sacrifices of those that were there for their sacrifices have defined us as Canadians and without them the wonderful country we enjoy today would not be.

We must never lose sight of the sacrifices that have safeguarded all that we hold dear and must never forget to show our gratitude to those that have and continue to protect us.